According to a ChainCatcher report citing Jin10, Houthi forces have again claimed attacks on Saudi oil tankers, bringing to 29 the total number of Saudi tankers forced to retreat in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. Trump said a US-Iran deal will be decided within 48 hours, with a 50% chance. Iran's foreign ministry also said it is close to reaching a Strait of Hormuz agreement with Oman, though the new shipping route is expected to be usable for only 2 to 4 months.

On August 5, US President Donald Trump said Washington and Tehran are holding "very good discussions," despite repeated denials from Iranian officials. Trump made the remarks during an interview with Fox News, saying: "We're having very good discussions. They don't want to admit it, which is a bit disturbing." He stressed that action, not words, is what matters, and that Iran wants to reach a deal. "We'll see what happens. If they don't end up reaching a deal, that's going to be too bad," he added. The report was distributed by BlockBeats, citing Jinshi as its source. No additional details about the talks were provided in the original report.

Spot gold traded in a narrow range during Wednesday's Asian session as an interim deal on the Strait of Hormuz appeared closer, easing inflation worries and reducing expectations for Fed rate hikes. Qatar said it drafted a proposal to normalize commercial shipping through the strait, while US and Iranian officials reported progress in talks. Oil fell for a third day on the optimism. Markets now fully price one US rate increase this year, down from nearly two last week. Looser monetary policy tends to support non-yielding gold.

According to Jin10, Iranian President Pezeshkian said Iran will defend its territory but is not seeking to expand the war. Separately, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said talks involving the United States and Iran have been assessed positively at both the technical and political levels, though there is currently no fixed agenda. On shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said tankers carrying Iraqi crude have passed through the waterway. The chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute said about 7 million barrels of oil are transported through the Strait of Hormuz each day. The remarks and shipping update came in the same report cited by ChainCatcher via Jin10.

Bitcoin surged to $75,000, liquidating over $530 million in leveraged positions in 24 hours—80% from BTC and ETH shorts. US-Iran deal hopes fuel the rally, though Valerius Labs warns of a possible short squeeze. ETH breaks $2,380; Tom Lee sees $60,000; Elizabeth Warren questions X Money’s stablecoin plans.

US-Iran negotiations remain stuck on three major disputes: control of the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of nearly 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, and the release of about $27 billion in frozen oil revenues.

Bitcoin briefly hit $73,115 after March core CPI came in at 0.2% vs 0.3% forecast, signaling inflation is energy-concentrated. US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad this weekend are the next catalyst. Analysts watch $75K breakout level.

Reuters reported that US-Iran negotiators have scaled back ambitions from a full peace deal to an interim memorandum as disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program remain unresolved.